Children turn into adults in the blink of eye. As a result, their bodies are constantly growing as they face growing pains affecting their back and muscles. To ensure your children don’t start experiencing serious back pain or develop underlying conditions that will linger into adulthood it is imperative to pick a backpack that will relieve excess pressure from their back. Your chiropractor in Des Moines IA has a few suggestions.

The easiest way to get your children to buy into carrying a lighter backpack, we all know children think they need to take everything under the sun to school, make it a daily challenge. Put a weighing scale in the restroom and tell you child that only the healthiest of kids are able to keep their backpacks under 10 pounds. For teenagers, this number can be increased by about 5 pounds. For children about 80 pounds, an 8 pound backpack is recommended.

Overstuffed backpacks can lead to:

• Poor circulation
• Bad posture
• Migraines
• Back Pain
• Muscle irregularities

---

How to Choose the Right Backpack in Des Moines IA

To accustom your child to carry a backpack with the right posture, recommend these tips.
Bend at the knee when picking it up

• Do not use a twisting motion
• Use both straps
• Adjust straps if necessary

A good backpack tends to have these features:

Two Straps

Having only one strap tends to distribute the weight unevenly across the body and can lead to irregular curvatures of the spine.

Modest Size

There’s always that child carrying a backpack that’s larger than they are. While it is cute, it is hardly healthy. A good rule of thumb is for it to be a few inches below the shoulder and at most a few inches below the waist.

Comfortable Straps

Be on the lookout for straps that have a wider surface area. These straps tend to distribute their weight more evenly, leading to a healthier posture.

Comfortable Back

Having a backpack with a cushion in the back ensure there aren’t any points where the weight is unevenly impacting certain parts of your child’s spine.

If you have any questions about backpacks for children feel free to contact the experienced team at Optimum Chiropractic in Des Moines IA.